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TWO RING-TAILED LEMUR BABIES BORN AT SENECA PARK ZOO

Wednesday, August 17, 2016 10:56 AM

County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo and Seneca Park Zoo officials are pleased to announce the birth of two ring-tailed lemur babies. The babies were born on Tuesday to 6-year-old Selma, and the genders are still being determined.

“We are thrilled to welcome two new lemurs to the Zoo family,” said Dinolfo. “The babies are a wonderful addition to the Zoo and are sure to captivate guests for the rest of the summer and beyond.”

The babies are doing well and are on exhibit for the time being. “The natural processes of nursing and development are already underway,” says Zoo Director Larry Sorel. “Animal care staff will be carefully monitoring the babies’ progress as they grow.”

The ecosystem of Madagascar, where ring-tailed lemurs are native, is a conservation priority for the Seneca Park Zoo, which has been raising funds and doing field work in the African island nation for decades. Recently, Party Mad at the Zoo and the Jungle Jog 5K both raised important funds for education and conservation programs in Madagascar. The Zoo Society’s docents also continue to partner with lemur expert Dr. Patricia Wright to fund and participate in research at the Centre Val Bio in Madagascar’s Ranomafana National Park. The Zoo Society’s One Cubic Foot initiative also made an impact there in May, replicating its citizen science project for two weeks with nationally renowned photographer David Liittschwager.

Selma and 8-year-old Bradigan came to the Zoo in 2014 from the Bramble Park Zoo in South Dakota and Indianapolis Zoo, respectively. Ring-tailed lemurs are endangered in their natural range due to habitat loss and hunting.

“We hope that guests coming to visit the newborn lemurs will be inspired to take action on behalf of the conservation of this endangered species,” says Zoo Society Executive Director Pamela Reed Sanchez.